“You’ll see.”
They walked out of the cafeteria and into the park, heading toward the safari.They passed security team members on patrol, but the park was empty except for the shifters who were still working.
The park was peaceful and quiet after the noise of the day had ended with the last patron exiting.He guided her past the security building and down the path of the tour.They passed the norm paddock and eventually stopped in front of one of the empty paddocks.He knelt and pushed a small shrub aside and a keypad illuminated.He entered a code and the gate to the paddock unlocked.He pushed it open and walked with her inside, closing it behind them.
The sun was nearly completely set, so he turned on his phone’s flashlight to light the way to a small bonfire that was flickering near the maintenance shed where his people normally shifted before they hung out in their animal forms for the safari tours.
He’d enlisted Tarquin and his dad’s help to set up the perfect picnic area, from the small bonfire in a cast iron fire pit to the inflated mattress underneath a thick blanket for them to sit on, to the laptop he’d loaded with rom-coms, Sunny’s favorite type of movie.
“Oh wow,” she said.“This looks amazing.”
His bear chuffed in happiness.
“Have a seat, sweetheart.”
He knelt next to her and set the basket to the side, opening the lid.He pulled out the food he’d prepared: mini meat and cheese sliders, pasta salad, and hand-cut potato chips.He set plates in front of them and served the food, then said, “I’ve got fruit salad and cheesecake for dessert, plus this.”He took a bottle of chilled strawberry soda and twisted off the lid, filling their glasses.
“You’re so sweet to put this together for our date,” she said.
“I just want you to know how much I care about you, and how happy you make me.”
She tilted her glass toward him.“You make me happy too.”
He encouraged her to pick a romcom and they watched it while they ate.When the credits rolled, he closed the lid and added a log to the fire pit to make the flames brighter.
He turned to face her.“I’ve got something I wanted to talk to you about.”
“What’s on your mind?”
“This weekend, I want us to mate fully.I want to mark you as mine and then you’ll be part of the sleuth officially.”
“I’d love that.”She smiled at him, her eyes crinkling at the corners.
He slipped his hand into his pocket and pulled out the piece of his family history that he’d been saving just for a moment like this.
Between his finger and thumb was his mother’s wedding band, which had belonged to her mother before her.When she died, his dad had given him the ring and told him that his mom had always wanted him to give it to his future mate.He’d had the ring tucked away in a drawer since then.
He glanced up at the stars.
He was very sure she was watching, smiling down on the scene.
“I don’t know how it feels like I’ve known you forever, Sunny, since we just met a few days ago.Maybe because we’re soulmates and everything is just easier when you know you’re with the person who’s meant to be yours.You’ve got my heart and I hope that I have yours.Because I’m in love with you, and I feel like I have been since the moment our eyes met.Will you marry me, Sunny?Will you be not only my mate but my wife?”
Her gaze slipped to the ring and she stared at it for a long moment in silence, and then she let out a trembling breath and whispered, “Yes!”He slipped the ring onto her finger and hugged her.“Oh, I love you too, Seneca.”
He leaned back and kissed her, then pressed his forehead to hers.He gently drew her hand into the light of the firepit so she could see the ring and told her about its history.The gold band was etched with bear paw prints and had an emerald-cut amber stone, in honor of the color of a bear’s eyes when they shifted.
“I know she’d be so happy to see you wearing this ring.”
“I wish I could have met her.”
His heart ached a little, the sort of ache that came from a life taken too soon and a childhood filled with loss.“I wish you could have too.And that I could have met your parents.”
“My dad would have jokingly given you a hard time, I’m sure,” she said with a laugh as she brushed at the tears on her cheeks.
“It would have been an honor to get to ask him for your hand in marriage.”
She leaned into him, and he held her in the firelight and looked up at the stars again.This time, he was certain that her parents were watching them too, right alongside his mom.
